Dave Van Horn: 'I don't feel like guys want to leave here'

So far in 2024, the transfer portal has been good to Arkansas baseball and head coach Dave Van Horn. Few Razorbacks have departed, while he and his staff have accentuated the roster with some key additions.

And Van Horn was pretty up front speaking with reporters about the culture at Arkansas helping to keep guys around. As he described it, players are confident in the development and trajectory they’re getting put on in Fayetteville and aren’t needing, or wanting, to leave.

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“I don’t feel like guys want to leave here, honestly,” Van Horn said. “We’ve got a lot going around here that helps kids get better and we treat them right and they — you know when you probably need to go. But I feel real good about the guys that are coming back and the guys that are leaving were kind of expected.”

Van Horn is also aware that the Razorbacks are not immune to a player leaving here and there, and changing circumstances could see a player he expects to stick around enter the portal. But so far, that hasn’t really been the case.

And it’s all part of a bigger-picture process for the Razorbacks.

“So things can change here and there, but we have a few players that obviously would be big time portal guys if they got in,” Van Horn said. “But I think they like what’s going on here and they like their development. And when you really think about it it’s about getting better every day and making your money in the draft.” 

Van Horn discussed Arkansas’ own activity nabbing players in the portal

The Arkansas Razorbacks baseball program has been fairly active utilizing the transfer portal since their 2024 season ended. But does head coach Dave Van Horn plan on staying active in the portal for much longer?

During a recent press conference, the Razorbacks head coach discussed how roster building is going so far in the offseason. Van Horn also revealed that Arkansas is not done with the transfer portal and is closely watching the situation surrounding two SEC programs.

“We’re still pretty active, honestly,” said Van Horn. “But I can’t put a number on it because there’s getting ready to be a lot more movement. You’re going to see some movement from a couple of teams in Texas. Some of them might jump from one team to the other, or maybe this is their time to get out and do something else.”